FedDev Ontario Invests in New Site to Create Energy-Efficient Technologies

Energy conservation will get a surge thanks to a $4.63-million federal investment in Mohawk College, which will help to build a new test site in Woodbridge to develop and commercialize clean energy technologies.

The technologies developed at the site, located in the "Living City" at the Kortright Centre for Conservation, will have the potential to make electrical power systems more efficient. This will ultimately lead to more efficient and cost-effective electrical power distribution and usage for Canadians.

The investment was announced today by Filomena Tassi, Member of Parliament for Hamilton WestΓÇÆAncasterΓÇÆ
Dundas, and Francesco Sorbara, Member of Parliament for VaughanΓÇÆWoodbridge. They made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario.

The Government's Innovation Agenda aims to make Canada a global centre for innovation - one that creates jobs, drives growth across all industries and improves the lives of all Canadians. This investment is an example of that vision in action.

Partners in the public and private sectors will use the test site to collaborate on the development and testing of new technologies that will allow home and building owners to monitor and manage the energy in their homes and offices.

This project will position southern Ontario as a leader in efficient energy use and management. The project is expected to create up to 82 high-quality jobs, and bring together up to 11 partners from key energy leaders such as Siemens, as well as post-secondary institutions. This collaboration will also allow Mohawk College to train students for highly-skilled energy sector jobs for today and tomorrow.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada is committed to making Canada a global centre for innovation. This vision aims to create quality jobs, drive growth across all industries and create real benefits for Canadians. Today's announcement demonstrates how we are energizing that vision."

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister Responsible for FedDev Ontario

"This investment in Mohawk College will lead to the development and commercialization of innovative energy technologies and methods. Communities, businesses and Canadians will benefit from the partnerships, resources and jobs made available through this new centre."

Filomena Tassi, Member of Parliament for Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas

"We are proud to bring together businesses, government and post-secondary institutions in order to collaborate and find the most innovative ways to make the lives of Canadians better."

Francesco Sorbara, Member of Parliament for Vaughan-Woodbridge

"The FedDev Ontario grant is the largest ever in Mohawk's 50-year history. The Government of Canada's investment in applied research at Mohawk will put our students and faculty to work with industry partners to test clean energy solutions that could revolutionize how we power our homes and communities."

Ron McKerlie, President, Mohawk College

Quick Facts

FedDev Ontario's non-repayable contribution, under the Investing in Commercialization Partnerships (ICP) initiative, will support total project costs of up to $9.3 million and will leverage investments from up to 11 strategic partners.

These partnerships will result in the development and commercialization of 11 technologies, such as energy-management software and energy storage.

FedDev Ontario Invests in New Site to Create Energy-Efficient Technologies

The Government of Canada supports the development of new energy technologies that have the potential to improve the quality of life of all Canadians, while creating well-paid jobs for the middle class. As part of this commitment, Mohawk College will receive an investment of up to $4.63 million.

Electricity generating plants produce large amounts of high-voltage electricity. In order for this electricity to travel along powerlines for eventual use in homes and everyday appliances, it undergoes multiple conversions along the way. This conversion process can lead to a loss of up to 32% of the energy transmitted.

This investment will help to address this loss by supporting the development and operation of a direct-current microgrid platform (electrical grid includes a variety of operational and energy measures including smart meters, smart appliances, renewable and energy-efficiency resources). It is anticipated that 11 new technologies will be developed to:

Improve energy efficiency by reducing the need for conversion during transmission;

Build upon recent advancements in energy storage;

Support the increasing number of direct-current products;

Better combine renewable energy sources within the power grid; and

Increase the use of information and communications technology in the energy system.

The testing methods and technologies created through this project contribute to a future-facing concept of a "smart home", where all energy needs are interconnected and homeowners could efficiently manage energy consumption and usage from a variety of applications.

About Kortright Centre for Conservation

The Kortright Centre for Conservation is Ontario's premier environmental and renewable energy education and demonstration centre. It is home to a "Living City" and a model sustainable house, making it the perfect location for the sustainable, future-facing technologies being tested and developed by the partners involved in this project.

Partners

This project brings together a number of partner organizations, whose combined contribution to the project is over $4.6 million towards a total project cost of $9.3 million. Mohawk College's partners in the project include: Schneider Electric; Siemens' RuggedCOM; Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL); Enersource; Omicron Electronics; the "Living City" at Kortright Centre; and, McMaster University.

About Mohawk College

Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology, located in Hamilton, Ontario, is a specialized institute of health and technology that offers a comprehensive range of apprenticeship, certificate, diploma, and degree programs serving more than 10,000 students.

Mohawk College was ranked as the third most research-intensive Canadian college in the 2014 Canadian Innovation Leader report. Mohawk College is also home to iDeaWorks, an internationally-recognized applied research and innovation centre, which focuses on leveraging multidisciplinary industrial collaborations to commercialize innovations in three high growth sectors: energy; e-health; and, additive manufacturing.

The Investing in Commercialization Partnerships (ICP) initiative supports business-led partnerships that create globally-competitive products, technologies and services, and the development of innovation platforms that can demonstrate commercial value.

For more information, visit the Investing in Commercialization Partnerships website.